Digital Equity Program Updates, MMA Annual Meeting, and more!

Greetings and Happy New Year!

We hope this e-mail finds you well and safe in 2023! There is an exciting season of digital equity activities in the works and we look forward to continuing to collaborate and engage on this critical issue.

See below for some of MBI’s upcoming events and opportunities!

Program Updates

Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program Update

Since launching the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program in November 2022, we have approved 11 municipalities to date to conduct their first-ever Digital Equity plans! Huge congrats to the following cities and towns for elevating the importance of this issue and leading the charge on digital inclusion.

Adams	Brockton	East Bridgewater
Easthampton	Lanesborough	Lynn
North Adams	Randolph	Sheffield
Somerville	Wareham	Whately

MBI is accepting applications for the Municipal Digital Equity Planning program on a rolling basis to ensure municipal leaders and staff have access to the resources and expertise needed to develop actionable solutions to bridge the digital divide.

Municipalities can learn more about the program and apply by following the link below.

Learn More & Apply

Approved Consultants

MBI is also excited to announce that the following consultants have been pre-qualified to provide digital equity planning services through this program. Click the links below to learn more:

Berkshire Regional Planning Council	Broadband Equity Partnership	Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Council
Michael DeChiara	Franklin Regional Council of Governments	Health Resources in Action, Mass Inc., Collins Center
Metropolitan Area Planning Council	Montachusett Regional Planning Council	Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB)

Upcoming Events

MBI @ MMA's Annual Meeting & Trade Show Next Week!

MBI will be participating in the 2023 Mass Municipal Association Annual Meeting and Tradeshow next week. The conference will take place January 21st and 22nd at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

Please come by our booth, #723, located at the top of “Government Row” to say hello to our team and learn about what MBI has in store for 2023. We'll also be joined at the booth by our colleagues from the MassCyberCenter , who will highlight their cybersecurity resiliency programs and resources for municipalities.

Massachusetts Workforce Association Webinar

Promoting Digital Equity - 1/24/23 @ 2 P.M.

MBI will speak to members and partners of the Mass. Workforce Association on Tuesday, January 24^th, for the latest Workforce Webinar Professional Learning Session. In this webinar, MBI will discuss new opportunities to expand digital equity across Massachusetts, including:

The current state of available funding;
The programs expected to be launched in the next 3 to 6 months;
How to prepare for the federal funding process; and
How your organization can get involved (including time for feedback and discussion).

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

2:00 - 3:00 P.M.

Details & Registration

Resources

American Connection Corps Presentation Video

The American Connection Corps (ACC) is the nation's largest fellowship program focused on bridging the digital divide. Organized by Lead for America and The American Connection Project, this fellowship addresses broadband development and digital inclusion while strengthening our country's next generation of civic leaders.

Lead for America was invited by MBI to present to a network of Massachusetts-based digital equity practitioners on Dec. 21st. Watch the video of the presentation below.

The American Connection Corps (ACC) program advances broadband development and digital inclusion, while building our country's civic leadership in places where talent is often encouraged to "leave and never come back." Fellows are placed in a paid, full-time service position addressing local connectivity needs in communities in their hometown or home state. ACC fellows are AmeriCorps members who typically serve 35-40 hours per week, providing key capacity-building services for the Host to advance broadband development and digital inclusion efforts.

Host Site Qualifications:

Must be a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, a local, tribal, or state government entity, or faith-based organization focused on non-religious activity. Below are a few examples:
State Broadband Offices
Local Governments / Agencies
Non-Profits

If you are interested in participating in this opportunity as a Host Site please fill out the short survey at the link below.

Take Survey

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